5 Questions with Prakash Dahal, PE

We sat down with HVJ Project Manager Prakash Dahal, PE, to talk about his experience managing major infrastructure projects. Prakash shares how he leads his team to solve real-world infrastructure challenges, the art of translating geotechnical insights across multidisciplinary teams, and what AI can (and can’t) do for geotechnical engineering.

1.    Starting with some information about yourself, what sparked your interest in geotechnical engineering? 

As a kid, I was always curious about what happens beneath the surface. Megastructures and documentaries about how they're built fascinated me. That curiosity led me to pursue an engineering degree, and today I get to live that dream as a geotechnical professional. 

What keeps me excited about the work is knowing it benefits the community. I also love that no two projects are alike. People rely on infrastructure like roads and bridges every day, and our expertise and solutions help build them.

Above all, I am driven by continuous learning, a great team, and the work's lasting impact.

2.    Walk us through your role as a Project Manager at HVJ. 

I manage projects from the initial proposal through final delivery. That means I handle everything from client management and design reviews to coordinating field and laboratory work, developing proposals, and keeping projects on track technically and financially. No two days are the same. 

My favorite part is solving problems alongside our staff engineers and technicians, sharing ideas, and developing practical solutions together. It’s rewarding to see our recommendations make a real difference, whether the project involves pavement, waterlines and bridges, retaining walls, or channels and detention basins.  

For me, successful project management boils down to clear communication and understanding our team’s capacity. When you prioritize clear communication and realistic expectations early on, you can better identify when to bring in additional resources. This protects both the work quality and team environment.  

3.    Can you share a project that challenged or stuck with you?

The Houston Downtown Overlay Project stands out. We needed to evaluate pavement conditions and develop mill-and-overlay recommendations across several high-traffic downtown streets.  It came with two major challenges:    

•    We found multiple instances where existing utilities weren't documented, so we adjusted pavement coring locations in the field to avoid conflicts or timeline delays.

•    The existing pavement thickness varied significantly, from about 10 to 31 inches, so a standard mill-and-overlay approach didn’t work for every section. In some areas, the overlay thickness needed to meet structural requirements would have created elevation differences with adjacent streets and drainage challenges. 

Rather than applying a uniform solution, we worked closely with the client and the City of Houston to develop a practical approach tailored to each section. For areas with significant constraints, we adjusted the design performance period and recommended overlay thicknesses that met structural requirements while maintaining consistent pavement elevations.

This project is a good example of what I enjoy most about geotechnical and pavement engineering. By interpreting technical information within real-world constraints, we developed a technically sound, practical solution. 

4.    Geotechnical work touches almost every other discipline. How do you keep collaboration seamless? 

A big part of my job is translating geotechnical terminology across disciplines. On almost every project, I work with civil and structural engineers, architects, surveyors, and the environmental and drainage team. I need to explain what the soil can support, how it will settle, and how that affects the design.

When everyone across disciplines is on the same page, we can make better decisions that avoid costly construction changes down the road. 

5.    You’ve been in the field for almost 10 years. How has it evolved, and what excites you about the future? 

Since I started in 2018, geotechnical engineering has shifted to become much more digitally driven. Tools like digital logging and cloud-based systems now allow us to collect and manage information faster and more efficiently. Advances in design software have also strengthened our ability to evaluate complex soil and foundation conditions. We can run multiple options and scenarios more efficiently to develop the safest, most practical solutions. 

Looking ahead, I am excited about how technology, data analytics, and artificial intelligence can further advance our industry and red-flag potential issues earlier.

At the same time, no matter how good the software and digital tools are, the foundation of good engineering is sound human judgment based on local conditions and clear communication.